Barbel
A fleshy whisker near the mouth, covered in taste buds, that catfish, carps and cod use to find food.
Also: whiskers
Barbels are slender feelers near the mouth or chin. They are packed with taste buds and touch receptors, so a fish can taste and feel the bottom for food in muddy or dark water. Catfish get their name from their long barbels, and magur, singhi and the wels catfish all have several pairs. The common carp has two pairs, the mahseer has barbels at the corners of its mouth, and cod and haddock have a single barbel under the chin. Sturgeons drag four barbels across the river bed.